


The Dark Lancer Fan Club

by doompatrol7



Category: Deltarune (Video Game)
Genre: Implied/Referenced Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-08
Updated: 2018-11-08
Packaged: 2019-08-20 10:46:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16554308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doompatrol7/pseuds/doompatrol7
Summary: The members of the Dark Lancer Fan Club bond over similar experiences.





	The Dark Lancer Fan Club

“…And we’re the DARK Lancer Fan Club!”  
  
Lancer and Susie chuckled to themselves as they acted out their new intro. The goody-two-shoes Lancer Fan Club would be there soon, and they needed a cool way to formally introduce their superior team. Having come up with one that pleased them both, they sat down on the ground and waited for when their debut performance would occur.  
  
“So… you’re part of your own fan club now?” Susie asked incredulously.  
  
“There’s nobody I love more than myself!” Lancer grinned, his tongue sticking out as usual.  
  
“Cool… cool,” she replied. _Wish I had your confidence, dude…_ She didn’t want to talk about anything personal, but her curiosity got the better of her. “…What about your dad? You always talk about him.” She cringed as soon as she asked.  
  
“Oh… my old man’s the best! He always lets me do whatever I want, like light my bike on fire and ride around on it, eat weird salsa I find laying around, dig up worms, and boss around his guys. Unless I do something he doesn’t like, which is a lot of things, then he yells at me.” Lancer babbled on.  
  
“Huh…” she replied.  
  
“What are Lightener dads like?”  
  
The innocent question caught Susie off guard, which was stupid in hindsight. She was the one who started this train of thought. “…The same,” was all she said.  
  
“Wow, is your dad a king too?!”  
  
They heard footsteps. “Susie…! Lancer…!” Ralsei’s voice broke their conversation before Susie could say anything. She thanked her lucky stars.  
  
They nodded to each other. It was time.  
  
“Heheheh…” Susie began.  
  
“Well if it isn’t the so-called Heroes…!” Lancer continued.  
  
…  
  
“Had enough everyone?”  
  
“Constantly.”  
  
Susie and Lancer continued to dig into their tree-stump salsa as Kris and Ralsei moved forward, having declined to eat any.  
  
“Uh, shouldn’t we be ahead of them?” Susie wondered.  
  
Lancer laughed, salsa dribbling down his chin. “Not to worry, you carton of delicious milk! I know all kinds of secret paths; those clowns won’t know where we’re coming from!”  
  
“Heh, I like the sound of that…” Considering she saw him get lost going down a simple path earlier, she doubted he actually did.  
  
He suddenly perked up. “Before we go, can I ask you about your king dad? I’ve never met anyone else like me before!”  
  
Damn it… Susie sighed. She had hoped he had forgotten all of that. Whatever, there was no point in lying. “Well, if I’m going to be honest with you, man… Nah, my dad’s not a king.”  
  
“Oh…” He looked visibly disappointed.  
  
She could’ve ended it there, but she didn’t. “In fact, he’s the opposite of a king. He’s a nobody.”  
  
“…He doesn’t have a body?” Lancer asked.  
  
“Nah, I’m just saying he’s a piece of shit.”  
  
He gasped. “Whoa! Even my dad doesn’t let me say that word! That’s like a tier two!”  
  
“Yeah, well, it’s a fitting word. Broaden your vocabulary.”  
  
Susie watched as Lancer thought to himself. He was more contemplative in this moment than she had seen before. “Then… why did you say he’s the same as my dad?”  
  
“My dad doesn’t care about me either.”  
  
Lancer bristled. “Who says my dad doesn’t care about me?”  
  
“Look, if you’re eating salsa out of a stump, there’s a good chance he doesn’t.” She looked at said stump, now empty. “All I had for breakfast this morning was chalk…”  
  
Lancer didn’t reply.  
  
…  
  
Instead of broaching that topic again, Susie and Lancer silently decided it was better to focus on their evil plans. This was for the better, they both thought. This bad guy business was so much fun. They laughed as the Lancer Fan Club solved puzzles for them, and Lancer even baked cookies to fund whatever they wanted to do. Next to two others, they stood behind their stand ready to sell.  
  
“Mm,” Susie said, eating their own stash, “not bad, Lancer. Not bad.”  
“Thanks, I used my own special recipe! Salsa and worms.”  
  
“Awesome.” She ate another. Lancer was pretty sure she had eaten half of their cookies by this point.  
  
He picked one up and looked at it. He made sure to make it in the image of his head, like a raindrop with a spade inside of it. It looked like his dad as well, he really was a spitting image. His stomach rumbled, and he shrugged. He took a tentative bite before eating the whole thing. Delicious.  
  
…  
  
The Lancer Fan Club’s design for the machine meant to kick their ass was a duck. A stupid duck. Susie should’ve known they would come up with the lamest idea imaginable, but, instead of making something new to replace it, laziness prevailed. The two of them opted to lounge around and let Lancer’s subjects fan them.  
  
“It’s pretty cold down here, we don’t even need these fans,” Susie noted wryly.  
  
“I know, but doesn’t it make you feel rich as heck?”  
  
“Oh, of course.”  
  
The two of them relaxed, not saying a word to each other. Susie could feel that there was a subtle tension in the air, neither really up to acknowledge what they discussed earlier.  
  
“Ya know, I keep wondering to myself. Do I really want to leave here?”  
  
“You don’t!” Lancer answered.  
  
“Cuz, I mean, what is there for me on the surface anyway? The same, boring old school in the same, boring old town with the same, boring old people. Nah. Things are way cooler down here.”  
  
“Right with you there!”  
  
“And everyone seems pretty chill, especially you Lancer.”  
  
That caught him off guard. “R-Really? Wow! That’s amazing coming from you!”  
  
“…You’re for real?”  
  
“I’ve told you before, right? You’re the coolest! You have an evil laugh, and sharp teeth, and big muscles, and you take what you want, and you don’t care about what anyone thinks about you. I wish I was more like you.”  
  
Susie flinched. “Uhh… heh, you’re kidding, right? I thought you loved yourself more than anyone?”  
  
Lancer didn’t answer for a moment. “…I like to think I do, but no one ever agrees with me.”  
  
“…Huh?”  
  
“My dad, whenever he does talk to me, always finds a problem that I need to fix or something that I did wrong. I think if I’m more like you, then he’ll stop finding problems. Then maybe he’ll pay attention to me, like you think he should.”  
  
“Nah.” Susie’s bluntness startled Lancer. “Believe me, if you started acting like me, everyone will hate you. And your pops will never be proud.”  
  
“Then how do I do it?”  
  
“You don’t. As I said, he’ll never be proud and you need to accept that.”  
  
“So…” Lancer said, voice soft, “he won’t give me Son of the Month?”  
  
“Not like you need it, anyway. You’re fine without that asshole’s approval.”  
  
He was despondent. “I… I think my dad just needs time, ya know? To really know who I am and see how I can make him proud.”  
  
Susie was starting to feel bad for the kid. It appeared that he really had no clue, no matter what she said. He was setting himself up for something worse than disappointment. She usually didn’t consider others, but a feeling of dread was building in the pit of her stomach. Not for her sake, but for his.  
  
…  
  
After the fiasco in the forest maze, they built the duck out of cardboard, and were now waiting for the Lancer Fan Club once again so they could blow it up in their faces. Another period of waiting, another period of awkwardness.  
  
“Hehehehe…” Lancer giggled to himself in anticipation.  
  
“So, you’re OK with the plan, right?” Susie asked.  
  
“Of course. If they lose, they join us? Everyone should join the Dark Lancer Fan Club, whether they like it or not!”  
  
“Yeah, but if we lose we join the Lancer Fan Club,” she reminded him.  
  
“Bleh! Whatever, that makes it more fun. What’s an evil plan without stakes?”  
  
The silence consumed them once more. Susie couldn’t stand it anymore. “Look… Lancer, this might not be the best time… but I, uhm, am… concerned?”  
  
He looked up at her, the image of innocence. “Concerned?  
  
“I just, uhhh… know what you’re going through, alright? Even if you don’t realize you’re going through it. I was that way, once. In denial. You want to believe he likes you, because that’s how you feel it should be. And yet, it isn’t that way. But, eventually, you’ll see the full picture. Get what I’m saying?” It all came pouring out of mouth, a stream of words that wouldn’t stop no matter how much she told it to.  
  
He rubbed his chin. “…N-Nope!” he replied with a strained smile. Neither of them bought it.  
  
She sighed heavily. “You’re... uh, a good kid, Lancer. And... no matter what happens here, we’ll… be on the same team. Alright?” Saying this corny shit took all her energy. And yet, she felt a warmth inside her.  
  
Lancer wanted to hug her, but restrained himself. “S-Sounds great!” Two forms, easily identifiable as Kris and Ralsei, appeared walking out of the maze. “Shhh, here they come. Get ready!”  
  
…  
  
As she was being walked to her cell, Susie had no clue what was going on. Had Lancer betrayed them all? Was their whole friendship fake, nothing more than a trick? No, there was no way. This was probably his dad’s doing. The bastard had no love for Lighteners, let alone the feelings of his own son. She couldn’t let this be the end, she needed to escape.  
  
The guard opened her cell. “OK, get in!” He said it as if he was showing her a five-star hotel room.  
  
“…Nah.”  
  
The guard yelped as she easily overpowered him, grabbing and dragging him down the dank halls. His screams fell on deaf ears as she looked for where to put him. “…Perfect.” She slammed him into a trashcan.  
  
“Now… how to get out of here…” she said as she looked around. “Oh no…” It was a puzzle, the bane of her existence.  
  
Guess she needed to solve this.  
  
…  
  
Lancer hated the situation he was in. What Susie had said scared him, that ‘everybody bleeds’ and how ‘she’ll crush anyone in her way’. In particular, she seemed to really hate his dad. Thus, he had his friends locked in the dungeon so they wouldn’t hurt his dad or he wouldn’t hurt them. He knew they wouldn’t be pleased, but he remembered what Susie told him. Her dad didn’t care about her, no one did. Maybe, if he kept her company, gave her food and water when she needed it and let Kris and Ralsei visit her every so often, she would finally be somewhat happy. She wouldn’t need to go back.  
  
He went to talk to some guards about keeping the prisoners in their cells, only to be interrupted by loud footsteps. It was Susie. Seems she had already escaped. Trying to explain himself, she didn’t want to hear. She bared her teeth, threatening him to move. He refused, they would all get hurt if he did. She threatened to kill him if he didn’t. Still, he refused. She attacked. He tried to fight back, but realized he didn’t want to hurt her. He couldn’t. He wanted to cry. If she, his best friend ever, wanted to kill him, so be it. Maybe it’s all he deserved. He braced himself.  
  
_WHIFF_  
  
“…I can’t kill you, man.”  
  
“S… Susie?”  
  
They made up, reaffirming their friendship. She told him, reluctantly, they could end things peacefully. He would talk with his dad, and they would be able to leave. With new hope in his heart, he ran ahead.  
  
…  
  
When Lancer’s dad began manhandling him, gripping him by the throat, Susie wished she was surprised. Sure, she knew he was a no-good piece of crap, but surely Lancer could talk some sense to him as they planned, right? Apparently not. Kris’ stoic expression shifted a little, and Ralsei in particular looked deeply disturbed. She appeared to be shocked, but she wasn’t. Not really. Rather, she was scared and remembering.  
  
_“Susie, you’re late.”  
  
“Since when do you care?”  
  
“So, I don’t care about my own daughter? Is that what you’re saying about me?!”  
  
“No-“_ That was usually all she could get out.  
  
Whatever, this was a different situation. Lancer wasn’t alone. Now she could say what she used to dream of others saying when she was a child.  
  
“Let him go.”  
  
…  
  
Lancer was crying. Talking with his dad ended badly, his friends were going to get hurt, and it was all his fault. All he could manage was a measly single attack on his dad, which changed the situation little. He had failed. Curled up in his room, next to his trusty bike, he began to think nasty thoughts.  
  
He really was worthless, just as his father said.  
  
A disappointment.  
  
A failure of both a bad guy and a good guy.  
  
He remembered Susie’s words, about how he was in denial. She was right, he couldn’t even realize how much his dad hated him until he was almost killed.  
  
But then he remembered some of Susie’s other words, the ones she always reluctantly said through gritted fangs or muttered offhand. How he was chill, a good friend, always a member of her team. _There is no one I love more than myself._ He didn’t love what he was doing right now. His friends were in danger, he couldn’t just sit here pouting! In this moment, no matter what Susie said about herself, he needed to be more like her. Assertive. He had already betrayed his dad, why not go all out? Wiping his tears, he bounded out of the room, running straight into Rouxls Kaard.  
  
“W-What ist thine business, childe?!” he exclaimed, collapsing pathetically to the ground and spilling his belongings everywhere.  
  
As a can of worms rolled into his feet, Lancer realized the duke of puzzles was trying to run away. So, he already knew the situation. Perfect. “Lesser Dad, it’s time for a revolution!”  
  
…  
  
It was over. The king was overthrown. Lancer threw him in a cell as he ranted and raved about how he would kill everyone, how he would kill his own son. Lancer would be lying to himself if that didn’t sting, but at this point there was no turning back. His father was dead to him, whether he liked it or not. He sat on his father’s throne, feet not even reaching the edge, as he pondered about how things would change under his rule. One thing he did know already, prison would only be for dads. Little good could come from them. As the new dad, he, along with Rouxls, would create a new future of good dads.  
  
Susie and Kris came and said their goodbyes, Susie acting as if it was Kris who wanted to do so. He chuckled to himself.  
  
She shifted on her feet awkwardly. “Uhh… Kris? Can I have a moment with Lancer?” They didn’t budge. “Alone?” Nodding faintly, they left.  
  
“What an interesting person…” Lancer observed, watching them leave.  
  
Susie’s face softened. “…You OK?” she asked.  
  
Lancer slumped in his new throne. “I guess you were right. My dad was a real piece of… poop, huh?”  
  
“Hey,” Susie said, putting a hand on his shoulder, “at least you aren’t. Can’t say the same about me.”  
  
“Don’t say that!” Lancer sat up straight. “You stood up for me, and for the blue person. If it wasn’t for you, things would’ve been different. I’d probably be a bunch of blood splooshed on the ground.”  
  
“Yeah, well, you overthrew him and came out on top. Most people can only dream about that,” she said. Lancer, for all his naivety and obliviousness, could sense history behind those words.  
  
“Just so you know, it’s because of you that I got the idea to overthrow him. You’ve got a lotta strength!”  
  
Susie felt like her heart was gonna explode. “Heh, well, you know…”  
  
As she stumbled over her words, Lancer took a deep breath of anticipation. “…You can still stay here if you want.”  
  
She considered it briefly. “…Nah. Like it or not, I’ve got business at home and can’t spend all my life here. But… thanks for the offer. I appreciate it.”  
  
Lancer was disappointed, but smiled anyway. “No problemo. Good luck purple girl, kill ‘em dead!” Unexpectedly, he scooted forward and hugged her, his arms barely reaching the edge of her torso. Looking around and blushing, she wrapped a massive arm around his body. They held that pose for a little before breaking it up. “Dark Lancer Fan Club for life!” he exclaimed, pumping his fists.  
  
“For life, dude!” In her mind, it truly was a Lancer fan club. After all, was there a bigger Lancer fan than her? She wished him luck, waved goodbye, not knowing when, or if, she would ever see her friend again, and followed Kris to the fountain.  
  
…  
  
Darkness gave way to light. They were back in the same, boring old school, in the same, boring old town, with the same, boring old people. Susie looked at Kris, and felt a sense of warmth. Well, not everyone was same or old or boring. They walked out of the classroom to find that school was over. Time to go home. She shuddered.  
  
“Well, guess we should go… See ya later, I guess.”  
  
But, as she walked away, she thought of Lancer, of Ralsei, and of the Darkeners. She thought of her new friend standing right behind her, and of the things she learned. The things she had gained. There was no need to be afraid, she realized. People liked her. She wasn’t alone anymore.  
  
She turned around. “Kris,” she said as she put a hand on their shoulder, much as she did to Lancer, “let’s go back there tomorrow, alright?”  
  
She smiled sincerely to them, and then walked home.

**Author's Note:**

> My first fanfiction. Thanks for reading!


End file.
